The Varos Triad
Part 4:-
Disclaimers:-
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all the characters belong to Joss
Whedon, Warner Brothers and anyone else who own them - and that does
not include me. I am making no profit from this - I'm just borrowing
them to write a story and entertain.
Author:- Steff
Information:-
This may seem a little weird but I have never watched Buffy the
Vampire Slayer. I have, however read a ton of fanfic and been
totally enthralled by it. So much so that I wanted to write a story
myself. With that in mind, I can safely say that there should be no
spoilers in here! Please remember that I have no idea about canon
though - so if I put Buffy living at home with her mum, then don't
worry about it too much. It's the characters that I'm borrowing not
the plotlines!
Having read a fair bit of fiction, I have set this approximately
three years after Faith confesses to the police in LA. I have not
included the Dawn/Glory storyline as that just confuses the hell out
of me. Any other glaring errors should just be glossed over - just
enjoy the story (I hope!)
Rating: PG-13 I think - but if anyone thinks it should be higher
let me know.
Pairing: Faith/Cordelia along with W/T A/X
Feedback: Yes please. Steff
______________________________
The black Lincoln pulled up alongside Faith as she strode
purposefully towards the mansion.
"Get in, I'll give you a lift," offered Cordelia after she opened the
window.
"I'm too angry Cordy. I need to walk this off," Faith replied, not
breaking her stride.
"Just get in before someone spots me curb crawling and my rep is
destroyed forever," Cordelia tried again, her head switching quickly
between watching the road and looking at the renegade slayer.
The Southie slayer continued to walk for a few moments before she
yanked the door opened and jumped in the car without waiting for it
to stop. Faith put one booted foot onto the dash and stared out of
the window, her hands clenched as they rested on her raised knee.
"Put your seat belt on," advised Cordelia as she picked up speed.
Faith grunted but complied, tugging at the restraint several times
before calming her actions down to feed the belt out enough to click
into the buckle. She pushed a hand through her thick black mane and
returned her gaze outside. For a moment, Cordelia thought that the
entire journey back would be under a painful silence, but she sensed
Faith becoming less tense and she relaxed slightly as she continued
to drive.
"So what would ruin your rep then, Cordy? The curb crawling itself
or who you're trying to pick up." Faith broke the silence suddenly.
Cordelia snorted with laughter. "Depends on who spots me," she
replied honestly. "Though I'd rather have my rep dragged through the
dirt than not be friends with you."
Faith looked at the ex cheerleader, astonished at the admission.
Cordelia had gone a long way since her days as High School Prom
Queen. The raven haired slayer smiled genuinely at her. "Thanks,
Cordy," she acknowledged her own feelings softly.
Cordelia shot back a wide grin in response before returning her eyes
to the road ahead. "Besides," she continued, "I couldn't bear
another moment with Miss Self Righteous and her band of the self
absorbed."
This comment provoked a short bark of laughter from Faith, and also
succeeded in releasing some of the anger that had been bubbling
inside her. "Well it hasn't exactly been a riot of fun and laughter
since I got here," she agreed, her smile turning melancholy as she
thought about the current situation.
"Yes, I noticed," Cordelia agreed. She tried to keep the
conversation from teetering into the uncomfortably heavy side. "I
thought I'd go for some less stressful entertainment and keep you out
of trouble," the Seer told her passenger. "Besides, I needed a bath
and a relax after the road trip from hell."
Faith sniggered. "Shouldn't that be the road trip *to* hell?" She
asked, unable to take the smile off her face.
"Not when you have Angel and Wesley in the car with you. Take it
from me, the destination was infinitely more preferable to the
getting there," the Seer replied forcefully.
Faith found herself laughing again, and took a moment to enjoy the
sensation, scarcely believing that Cordelia could have such a
profound affect on her. "I take it Wes and Soul Boy were educating
you on the way here," she guessed.
Cordelia rolled her eyes as she tightened her grip on the steering
wheel. "Only from the moment I got in till the moment we pulled up
outside the Magic Box," she verified, her voice clearly indicating
how she felt about the trip.
"You should have told them to shut up," advised Faith.
"I did," the brunette driver responded. "They didn't."
Faith grinned again before her face became more pensive. "I wish I
hadn't stormed out of there," she confided honestly, returning the
conversation back to the events in the Magic Box in one
sentence. "But it was just," Faith hesitated to try and find the
right description.
"I know," comforted Cordelia softly. "If it's any consolation, I'm
not exactly Miss Popular either now."
"Oh God. What did you say?" Faith was torn between dreading
Cordelia's potential insensitivity and basking in the actress's
loyalty.
"Only the truth. Although," Cordelia paused for a moment, wondering
if she should mention her near indiscretion.
"Although what?" Faith was intrigued. Cordy was usually so
forthright and confident. It was unlike her to be edgy.
The Seer decided that Faith didn't need to know. "I was perhaps a
bit blunt with my truth," she suggested with a rueful look.
The Southie slayer kept her face impassive as she responded. "Unlike
you to be blunt."
"Must be *someone's* personality rubbing off on me," the taller
brunette shot back good naturedly.
"Well I did warn you that Angel was a bad influence," Faith rejoined,
deliberately misunderstanding the ex-cheerleader's barb.
"Must be all the broody silences," Cordelia continued the joke for
another sentence as they pulled up to the mansion. She popped the
trunk release once they had stopped. "You can help me bring in the
bags," she smiled at Faith as she exited the car.
Faith shrugged non committally as she unlatched her seat belt and
joined the dark haired Seer at the back of the car. "Jeez C, you
should have just screwed a handle on your wardrobe." Faith exclaimed
as she saw the amount of luggage squeezed into the trunk.
"It's not *all* mine Faith," Cordelia sighed dramatically. "There's
stuff for everyone in here. I even managed to gather enough courage
to pick you out some clothes."
"You got me some stuff?" Faith exclaimed in surprise. "Hey did you
pack my suede jacket?" She asked, suddenly excited.
"I'm not sure. I had my eyes shut for most of the time in disgust.
How many cows can one girl wear?"
"I like leather," insisted Faith, knowing she was being baited, yet
rising anyway.
Cordelia continued. "Still, at least I couldn't make a faux pas with
clashing colours. It's difficult not to match black up with black,"
the taller woman teased.
Faith pulled a face and then hefted out the bags, slinging one over
each shoulder and then holding another two. Cordelia picked up a
small vanity case and left the two remaining bags where they were and
made her way to the door.
The rogue slayer dropped a bag and dug round in a pocket before
locating the keys to the mansion and unlocking the door. Shoving it
open with her hip, Faith deposited the bags in the hallway and
skipped back to the Lincoln, retrieving the last of the luggage and
securing the car before returning to the mansion. She found Cordelia
slumped in a chair, her head rolled back with her eyes closed. "You
Okay?" She hurried over to the taller woman, fearful that she may
have endured another painful vision.
Cordelia opened her eyes and smiled softly at the brunette
slayer. "I would say five by five, but I don't know what that means."
Faith's eyes twinkled humorously. "Stay there. I'll run you a
bath," she offered.
"Faith, you aren't some dogsbody," Cordelia protested, sitting up in
the chair.
"Hey, it's no biggie. Which ones are your bags? I'll put them in
your room."
"You sorted me out a room too?" Cordelia's eyebrows shot up in
surprise at Faith's thoughtfulness.
"Yeah, well don't tell the others. I've only dusted yours." Faith
suddenly found the strap on one of the bags to be extremely
interesting.
Cordelia didn't think that her eyebrows could get any higher. The
dark slayer just continued to surprise her. She also realised that
her depth of feeling towards the younger girl was taking her into
unknown territory. She wanted to be more than just a friend to Faith
now but was unsure how to do it or even if she should do it. The
some time actress had never thought of herself as anything other than
straight, and the thought of going with another woman alarmed her not
just because it was way out of her own boundaries, or so she had
previously believed, but she knew that she was shallow enough to be
really bothered by what other people might think of her. Or so she
had told herself as she tried to sort her emotions out. However, the
more time pressed on and the more time she spent in Faith's company,
the more Cordelia began to realise that she was using that as an
excuse. She knew she could put up with what anyone else said or
thought. What she couldn't deal with was the thought that she might
be rejected. Faith displayed an air of easy confidence and overt
sexuality about her, but Cordelia knew that much of it was a front to
hide her deep-seated insecurities. Since her release from jail, Faith
had made innuendoes and mildly flirted with Cordelia but had done
nothing else to indicate that she would be interested in a
relationship with the actress. Cordelia herself spent much of her
time hidden by a smoke screen of sarcastic barbs and put-downs and
she enjoyed verbally sparring with the Southie slayer. She was
frightened that if she took a risk and opened herself up to Faith,
she would get hurt, or worse, lose the relationship they had and that
she valued.
Frustrated by her indecision and self-perceived cowardice, the ex-
cheerleader stood abruptly, gesturing to the largest bag and another
one nearby. "They're mine," she told Faith. "And thank you. I
appreciate it." She smiled at the shorter woman and made her way to
the staircase and the bathroom upstairs.
Faith grabbed the bags and followed, pushing herself gently past the
Seer when they reached the landing. She opened one of the doors and
placed the bags just inside. "This is your room. The bathroom is
opposite. Take your time. If I get *summoned*," she pulled a face as
she indicated how she felt about her current situation again, "I'll
come up and tell you." With that, the raven-haired woman retreated
from the room and headed back down the stairs.
Cordelia pushed the door fully open and stepped inside, marvelling at
how clean it was. She picked up one of the fresh towels that had
been laid at the foot of the bed and wondered again what to do about
her feelings towards Faith. She quickly got undressed and wrapped a
towel round her before moving to the bathroom. As she stepped onto
the landing, she called down stairs. "Faith, yours is the bag with
the black tag on it." Hearing a call acknowledging her, she slipped
into the bathroom and smiled again as she saw the steaming water
collecting in the bath. Her smile became wistful as she recalled the
events in the Magic Box and how Faith had been received by Buffy and
the others. In some ways, Cordelia sympathised with the Sunnydale
crowd. She hadn't exactly been rolling out the red carpet when Faith
got out of jail and accepted Angel's invitation to stay at the
Hyperion. But at least she had given the dark slayer an opportunity
to prove herself. Faith hadn't wasted the chance and now Cordelia
wanted her to be able to show Buffy and the Scoobies those changes.
Settling into the hot water, Cordelia felt her knotted muscles
welcome the warmth and begin to loosen. She rolled her shoulders to
encourage the process before leaning back to contemplate her next
steps as she luxuriated in the steam filled room.
* * *
Faith was grateful that Cordelia had indicated which bag was hers.
She had been reluctant to go through the contents of the remaining
luggage for fear of encroaching into the personal property of the
others. Before her stint in jail, such considerations would have
been unthinkable or discarded, but Faith had learned to value privacy
and secrecy in a location where it was almost impossible to achieve.
She found the bag quickly and pulled back the zip. Cordelia had not
wasted any space inside the holdall and Faith frowned for a moment,
wondering if the ex-cheerleader had stuffed the entire contents of
her room into the bag. The renegade slayer allowed herself a smile
as she noticed that her suede jacket was indeed amongst the items
Cordy had selected and she pulled the soft tan coat free and sat on
the sofa.
She searched the pockets carefully and carefully extracted a small
parcel, wrapped in a brown paper bag with a piece of tape holding the
bag closed. Holding the small item into her chest, Faith leant back
onto the sofa and smiled in relief, closing her eyes as fatigue
washed over her. The last two days had taken their toll.
Knowing that Cordelia would not rush her ablutions, Faith decided to
catch up on some much needed rest. However, she couldn't stop her
mind from racing over recent events. The Bostonian had been amazed
by Cordelia's staunch defence of her in the Magic Box and her
surprise had continued when the Seer had followed her out of the
meeting.
Although starting on extremely rocky ground, Faith had managed to
build a friendship up with Cordelia. It took time but a slow
understanding and mutual trust developed. Faith's actions during one
particular assignment had also persuaded both Cordelia and Wesley
that she had truly changed. Their change in attitude had given Faith
the opportunity to reveal more about herself and what had happened to
her in prison. What she said was accepted and believed, rather than
dismissed as fitting punishment. Wes had stepped back into his old
role as Faith's watcher, and the Southie slayer treated him with a
new respect and courtesy, astounded that he could ever want to return
to that job. Cordelia turned into a loyal friend overnight, and
spent most of her free time with her. Secrets and insecurities were
shared between the two girls and they became confident enough to
expose aspects of their personalities that they would never dream of
showing to anyone else. They would bicker and be cutting to each
other, but it was done in the security that they knew each other well
enough to be able to banter without fear of upsetting each other.
Faith treasured her connection with Cordelia. It was like no
friendship she had ever had before. But now she was scared of her
developing feelings for the chestnut haired Seer. She wanted
desperately to take things further with Cordelia but Faith couldn't
trust herself not to ruin it in the same way she had ruined every
other good thing to come into her life. Besides, Cordelia had never
indicated that she wanted anything more from their relationship.
When Faith flirted with the older girl now, the Seer would simply
respond with a sarcastic put down or one of her trademark stares.
Faith wasn't prepared to risk their friendship over this. She had
made that mistake before. She would have to keep things secret, and
keep a firm rein on her emotions.
Faith sighed as she ran a hand through her thick mane but coming to
the same decision as she always did when she mulled over her problem
eased some of the tension keeping her muscles taut and the Southie
slayer found her limbs getting heavier as she drifted off to sleep.
* * *
Cordelia stared at the sleeping woman for some time, studying Faith's
face intently, as if she had never seen it before, which in a twisted
way, was true. The young woman's visage displayed none of the
tension or guardedness that was usually adorned on it. The tall Seer
stood transfixed, wondering how she had failed to notice how
beautiful the young slayer was and then she cursed inwardly for
allowing her thoughts to continue along the dangerous path her
feelings so desired.
She jumped as Faith's eyes opened without warning. "Jeez, do you
always wake up like that?"
"Like what?" Faith's voice was thick with sleep and she struggled to
sit upright and actually register what Cordy had asked of her.
"Never mind." The taller brunette brushed the comment away and then
swung Faith's legs off the couch so that she could sit next to her.
"Take a seat," Faith offered belatedly, pulling her face into a wry
grin.
"Thanks." Cordelia was quite happy to reply in the same sarcastic
vein. "So no word from the blonde dwarf then?"
Faith's grin widened at Cordelia's description. "That's harsh
Cordy," she reprimanded and then continued before the ex-cheerleader
had an opportunity to respond. "Nope, no word from any of them.
They're probably still discussing how bad I am."
"I'll have run out of clothes before they ever get to the end of that
topic," Cordelia leant back in the sofa, shaking her head.
"Cordy, you'll never run out of clothes," Faith pointed out
objectively, provoking a peal of laughter from the other girl and a
genuine smile from Faith. Her look turned shy as she noticed the
package still lying in her lap. She picked it up and rolled it in
her hands for a moment before looking at Cordelia. "I meant to give
this to you yesterday, but I kinda got caught up in something else."
She held out the parcel for Cordelia to take.
Narrowing her gaze slightly, Cordelia took the package from the rogue
slayer. "What is it?"
"Du-huh! Open it and find out," Faith told her.
Cordelia stuck her tongue out at the girl before pulling the tape at
one end. "Brown paper wrapping," she commented, drawing out the
tension. "I must have missed that from last month's Vogue."
"I never really got the idea of wrapping paper," defended
Faith. "You just rip it off and put it in the bin."
Cordelia cocked her head to one side before nodding
thoughtfully. "You do have a point," she concurred.
"Get on with it, already," Faith encouraged her, pushing at one of
her hands in an effort to hurry the event along.
The older girl rolled her eyes at Faith's impatience but complied,
pulling on the bag to reveal it's contents. Her eyes widened and
then frowned slightly in confusion. In her hands was the most
exquisite silver box. The lid was enamelled in cerulean blue with a
delicate yet complicated border in black. On the middle of the lid
in a clear, Gregorian style were the initials "C.C".
"This is beautiful. I've never seen anything like it before,"
Cordelia whispered, rolling the box around in her hands and looking
at the craftsmanship carefully.
"Open it," instructed Faith quietly.
Cordelia looked at her for a moment before prising open the lid.
Snuggled inside the box in a perfect fit, was a strip of Advil. It
was then that Faith explained the gift. "I didn't know what to get
you for your birthday, so I thought I'd get you something useful as I
know our taste in clothes and stuff isn't exactly similar." She
spoke quickly, still nervous of Cordelia's reaction. "I know it's
only crappy, and you don't have to say you like it or anything, but I
couldn't find anything in the shops. I had to make it myself.."
"You made this?" Interrupted the Seer. "Oh my god Faith, it's
incredible. I never knew you could do anything like that."
Faith blushed and looked at her lap suddenly to try and hide her
embarrassment. "Yeah, well. I picked up a lot of stuff in jail,"
she explained.
Cordelia was having none of the throwaway explanation. "It's
amazing, Faith. And so are you. It's the most thoughtful gift I've
ever had."
Faith snorted derisively. "I don't think so Cordy. You've had a car
and bought out most of Prada. A crappy pill box for a birthday
present hardly compares."
"Faith," the Seer explained carefully, "those gifts were just money.
No thought or effort went into them. I just told Daddy what I wanted
and he wrote the cheque. This is altogether different. It's the
most personal gift I think I've ever had." Cordelia had to swallow
to overcome the sudden tightness in her throat.
The dark slayer looked up at her friend curiously. "So it's Okay
then? You like it?"
"I love it," Cordelia beamed. "Thank you." She threw her arms round
Faith and hugged her tightly, revelling in her nearness before
sitting back and looking at Faith intently. "You're the only one
that remembered this year," she confided, her face darkening briefly
as she recalled how depressed she'd felt the day before.
Faith rocked back in astonishment. "What? Not even a card from your
parents? Angel? Xander?" Faith gave up listing people as she saw
Cordelia shake her head at each name mentioned. "Boy, I'm glad you
packed my jacket now," she remarked.
"So am I." Cordelia grinned. "I know it's a day late, but let's go
out tonight and celebrate," she suggested, her eyes shining at the
thought of spending more time with Faith.
The shorter woman smiled back. "I'd love to Cordy, but what about
the artefacts?" Faith desperately wanted to go out with the Seer.
She had been overwhelmed by the reaction to the birthday present and
wanted to obliterate any sad memories Cordelia had already suffered
on her birthday. Most importantly of all however was that she craved
the woman's company and even if it was selfish on her part, Faith
wanted to make the most of her time with her. Even if it meant going
out in Sunnydale. But her sense of duty outweighed all these
factors. She couldn't abandon that. They were all here for a
purpose and Faith had resolved never to let anyone down again.
"You're right," Cordy acquiesced. "I just got caught up in the
moment. They'll be another time to celebrate my birthday."
"Birthday?" Queried Angel as he opened the door. Both brunettes
raised their eyebrows as they realised the sun had set and that it
was dark outside. They had totally lost track of the time.
Wesley and Gunn followed Angel through the door and they made their
way over to the sofa. "You never told me it was your birthday," the
brooding vampire accused.
To be continued...
Part 4:-
Disclaimers:-
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all the characters belong to Joss
Whedon, Warner Brothers and anyone else who own them - and that does
not include me. I am making no profit from this - I'm just borrowing
them to write a story and entertain.
Author:- Steff
Information:-
This may seem a little weird but I have never watched Buffy the
Vampire Slayer. I have, however read a ton of fanfic and been
totally enthralled by it. So much so that I wanted to write a story
myself. With that in mind, I can safely say that there should be no
spoilers in here! Please remember that I have no idea about canon
though - so if I put Buffy living at home with her mum, then don't
worry about it too much. It's the characters that I'm borrowing not
the plotlines!
Having read a fair bit of fiction, I have set this approximately
three years after Faith confesses to the police in LA. I have not
included the Dawn/Glory storyline as that just confuses the hell out
of me. Any other glaring errors should just be glossed over - just
enjoy the story (I hope!)
Rating: PG-13 I think - but if anyone thinks it should be higher
let me know.
Pairing: Faith/Cordelia along with W/T A/X
Feedback: Yes please. Steff
______________________________
The black Lincoln pulled up alongside Faith as she strode
purposefully towards the mansion.
"Get in, I'll give you a lift," offered Cordelia after she opened the
window.
"I'm too angry Cordy. I need to walk this off," Faith replied, not
breaking her stride.
"Just get in before someone spots me curb crawling and my rep is
destroyed forever," Cordelia tried again, her head switching quickly
between watching the road and looking at the renegade slayer.
The Southie slayer continued to walk for a few moments before she
yanked the door opened and jumped in the car without waiting for it
to stop. Faith put one booted foot onto the dash and stared out of
the window, her hands clenched as they rested on her raised knee.
"Put your seat belt on," advised Cordelia as she picked up speed.
Faith grunted but complied, tugging at the restraint several times
before calming her actions down to feed the belt out enough to click
into the buckle. She pushed a hand through her thick black mane and
returned her gaze outside. For a moment, Cordelia thought that the
entire journey back would be under a painful silence, but she sensed
Faith becoming less tense and she relaxed slightly as she continued
to drive.
"So what would ruin your rep then, Cordy? The curb crawling itself
or who you're trying to pick up." Faith broke the silence suddenly.
Cordelia snorted with laughter. "Depends on who spots me," she
replied honestly. "Though I'd rather have my rep dragged through the
dirt than not be friends with you."
Faith looked at the ex cheerleader, astonished at the admission.
Cordelia had gone a long way since her days as High School Prom
Queen. The raven haired slayer smiled genuinely at her. "Thanks,
Cordy," she acknowledged her own feelings softly.
Cordelia shot back a wide grin in response before returning her eyes
to the road ahead. "Besides," she continued, "I couldn't bear
another moment with Miss Self Righteous and her band of the self
absorbed."
This comment provoked a short bark of laughter from Faith, and also
succeeded in releasing some of the anger that had been bubbling
inside her. "Well it hasn't exactly been a riot of fun and laughter
since I got here," she agreed, her smile turning melancholy as she
thought about the current situation.
"Yes, I noticed," Cordelia agreed. She tried to keep the
conversation from teetering into the uncomfortably heavy side. "I
thought I'd go for some less stressful entertainment and keep you out
of trouble," the Seer told her passenger. "Besides, I needed a bath
and a relax after the road trip from hell."
Faith sniggered. "Shouldn't that be the road trip *to* hell?" She
asked, unable to take the smile off her face.
"Not when you have Angel and Wesley in the car with you. Take it
from me, the destination was infinitely more preferable to the
getting there," the Seer replied forcefully.
Faith found herself laughing again, and took a moment to enjoy the
sensation, scarcely believing that Cordelia could have such a
profound affect on her. "I take it Wes and Soul Boy were educating
you on the way here," she guessed.
Cordelia rolled her eyes as she tightened her grip on the steering
wheel. "Only from the moment I got in till the moment we pulled up
outside the Magic Box," she verified, her voice clearly indicating
how she felt about the trip.
"You should have told them to shut up," advised Faith.
"I did," the brunette driver responded. "They didn't."
Faith grinned again before her face became more pensive. "I wish I
hadn't stormed out of there," she confided honestly, returning the
conversation back to the events in the Magic Box in one
sentence. "But it was just," Faith hesitated to try and find the
right description.
"I know," comforted Cordelia softly. "If it's any consolation, I'm
not exactly Miss Popular either now."
"Oh God. What did you say?" Faith was torn between dreading
Cordelia's potential insensitivity and basking in the actress's
loyalty.
"Only the truth. Although," Cordelia paused for a moment, wondering
if she should mention her near indiscretion.
"Although what?" Faith was intrigued. Cordy was usually so
forthright and confident. It was unlike her to be edgy.
The Seer decided that Faith didn't need to know. "I was perhaps a
bit blunt with my truth," she suggested with a rueful look.
The Southie slayer kept her face impassive as she responded. "Unlike
you to be blunt."
"Must be *someone's* personality rubbing off on me," the taller
brunette shot back good naturedly.
"Well I did warn you that Angel was a bad influence," Faith rejoined,
deliberately misunderstanding the ex-cheerleader's barb.
"Must be all the broody silences," Cordelia continued the joke for
another sentence as they pulled up to the mansion. She popped the
trunk release once they had stopped. "You can help me bring in the
bags," she smiled at Faith as she exited the car.
Faith shrugged non committally as she unlatched her seat belt and
joined the dark haired Seer at the back of the car. "Jeez C, you
should have just screwed a handle on your wardrobe." Faith exclaimed
as she saw the amount of luggage squeezed into the trunk.
"It's not *all* mine Faith," Cordelia sighed dramatically. "There's
stuff for everyone in here. I even managed to gather enough courage
to pick you out some clothes."
"You got me some stuff?" Faith exclaimed in surprise. "Hey did you
pack my suede jacket?" She asked, suddenly excited.
"I'm not sure. I had my eyes shut for most of the time in disgust.
How many cows can one girl wear?"
"I like leather," insisted Faith, knowing she was being baited, yet
rising anyway.
Cordelia continued. "Still, at least I couldn't make a faux pas with
clashing colours. It's difficult not to match black up with black,"
the taller woman teased.
Faith pulled a face and then hefted out the bags, slinging one over
each shoulder and then holding another two. Cordelia picked up a
small vanity case and left the two remaining bags where they were and
made her way to the door.
The rogue slayer dropped a bag and dug round in a pocket before
locating the keys to the mansion and unlocking the door. Shoving it
open with her hip, Faith deposited the bags in the hallway and
skipped back to the Lincoln, retrieving the last of the luggage and
securing the car before returning to the mansion. She found Cordelia
slumped in a chair, her head rolled back with her eyes closed. "You
Okay?" She hurried over to the taller woman, fearful that she may
have endured another painful vision.
Cordelia opened her eyes and smiled softly at the brunette
slayer. "I would say five by five, but I don't know what that means."
Faith's eyes twinkled humorously. "Stay there. I'll run you a
bath," she offered.
"Faith, you aren't some dogsbody," Cordelia protested, sitting up in
the chair.
"Hey, it's no biggie. Which ones are your bags? I'll put them in
your room."
"You sorted me out a room too?" Cordelia's eyebrows shot up in
surprise at Faith's thoughtfulness.
"Yeah, well don't tell the others. I've only dusted yours." Faith
suddenly found the strap on one of the bags to be extremely
interesting.
Cordelia didn't think that her eyebrows could get any higher. The
dark slayer just continued to surprise her. She also realised that
her depth of feeling towards the younger girl was taking her into
unknown territory. She wanted to be more than just a friend to Faith
now but was unsure how to do it or even if she should do it. The
some time actress had never thought of herself as anything other than
straight, and the thought of going with another woman alarmed her not
just because it was way out of her own boundaries, or so she had
previously believed, but she knew that she was shallow enough to be
really bothered by what other people might think of her. Or so she
had told herself as she tried to sort her emotions out. However, the
more time pressed on and the more time she spent in Faith's company,
the more Cordelia began to realise that she was using that as an
excuse. She knew she could put up with what anyone else said or
thought. What she couldn't deal with was the thought that she might
be rejected. Faith displayed an air of easy confidence and overt
sexuality about her, but Cordelia knew that much of it was a front to
hide her deep-seated insecurities. Since her release from jail, Faith
had made innuendoes and mildly flirted with Cordelia but had done
nothing else to indicate that she would be interested in a
relationship with the actress. Cordelia herself spent much of her
time hidden by a smoke screen of sarcastic barbs and put-downs and
she enjoyed verbally sparring with the Southie slayer. She was
frightened that if she took a risk and opened herself up to Faith,
she would get hurt, or worse, lose the relationship they had and that
she valued.
Frustrated by her indecision and self-perceived cowardice, the ex-
cheerleader stood abruptly, gesturing to the largest bag and another
one nearby. "They're mine," she told Faith. "And thank you. I
appreciate it." She smiled at the shorter woman and made her way to
the staircase and the bathroom upstairs.
Faith grabbed the bags and followed, pushing herself gently past the
Seer when they reached the landing. She opened one of the doors and
placed the bags just inside. "This is your room. The bathroom is
opposite. Take your time. If I get *summoned*," she pulled a face as
she indicated how she felt about her current situation again, "I'll
come up and tell you." With that, the raven-haired woman retreated
from the room and headed back down the stairs.
Cordelia pushed the door fully open and stepped inside, marvelling at
how clean it was. She picked up one of the fresh towels that had
been laid at the foot of the bed and wondered again what to do about
her feelings towards Faith. She quickly got undressed and wrapped a
towel round her before moving to the bathroom. As she stepped onto
the landing, she called down stairs. "Faith, yours is the bag with
the black tag on it." Hearing a call acknowledging her, she slipped
into the bathroom and smiled again as she saw the steaming water
collecting in the bath. Her smile became wistful as she recalled the
events in the Magic Box and how Faith had been received by Buffy and
the others. In some ways, Cordelia sympathised with the Sunnydale
crowd. She hadn't exactly been rolling out the red carpet when Faith
got out of jail and accepted Angel's invitation to stay at the
Hyperion. But at least she had given the dark slayer an opportunity
to prove herself. Faith hadn't wasted the chance and now Cordelia
wanted her to be able to show Buffy and the Scoobies those changes.
Settling into the hot water, Cordelia felt her knotted muscles
welcome the warmth and begin to loosen. She rolled her shoulders to
encourage the process before leaning back to contemplate her next
steps as she luxuriated in the steam filled room.
* * *
Faith was grateful that Cordelia had indicated which bag was hers.
She had been reluctant to go through the contents of the remaining
luggage for fear of encroaching into the personal property of the
others. Before her stint in jail, such considerations would have
been unthinkable or discarded, but Faith had learned to value privacy
and secrecy in a location where it was almost impossible to achieve.
She found the bag quickly and pulled back the zip. Cordelia had not
wasted any space inside the holdall and Faith frowned for a moment,
wondering if the ex-cheerleader had stuffed the entire contents of
her room into the bag. The renegade slayer allowed herself a smile
as she noticed that her suede jacket was indeed amongst the items
Cordy had selected and she pulled the soft tan coat free and sat on
the sofa.
She searched the pockets carefully and carefully extracted a small
parcel, wrapped in a brown paper bag with a piece of tape holding the
bag closed. Holding the small item into her chest, Faith leant back
onto the sofa and smiled in relief, closing her eyes as fatigue
washed over her. The last two days had taken their toll.
Knowing that Cordelia would not rush her ablutions, Faith decided to
catch up on some much needed rest. However, she couldn't stop her
mind from racing over recent events. The Bostonian had been amazed
by Cordelia's staunch defence of her in the Magic Box and her
surprise had continued when the Seer had followed her out of the
meeting.
Although starting on extremely rocky ground, Faith had managed to
build a friendship up with Cordelia. It took time but a slow
understanding and mutual trust developed. Faith's actions during one
particular assignment had also persuaded both Cordelia and Wesley
that she had truly changed. Their change in attitude had given Faith
the opportunity to reveal more about herself and what had happened to
her in prison. What she said was accepted and believed, rather than
dismissed as fitting punishment. Wes had stepped back into his old
role as Faith's watcher, and the Southie slayer treated him with a
new respect and courtesy, astounded that he could ever want to return
to that job. Cordelia turned into a loyal friend overnight, and
spent most of her free time with her. Secrets and insecurities were
shared between the two girls and they became confident enough to
expose aspects of their personalities that they would never dream of
showing to anyone else. They would bicker and be cutting to each
other, but it was done in the security that they knew each other well
enough to be able to banter without fear of upsetting each other.
Faith treasured her connection with Cordelia. It was like no
friendship she had ever had before. But now she was scared of her
developing feelings for the chestnut haired Seer. She wanted
desperately to take things further with Cordelia but Faith couldn't
trust herself not to ruin it in the same way she had ruined every
other good thing to come into her life. Besides, Cordelia had never
indicated that she wanted anything more from their relationship.
When Faith flirted with the older girl now, the Seer would simply
respond with a sarcastic put down or one of her trademark stares.
Faith wasn't prepared to risk their friendship over this. She had
made that mistake before. She would have to keep things secret, and
keep a firm rein on her emotions.
Faith sighed as she ran a hand through her thick mane but coming to
the same decision as she always did when she mulled over her problem
eased some of the tension keeping her muscles taut and the Southie
slayer found her limbs getting heavier as she drifted off to sleep.
* * *
Cordelia stared at the sleeping woman for some time, studying Faith's
face intently, as if she had never seen it before, which in a twisted
way, was true. The young woman's visage displayed none of the
tension or guardedness that was usually adorned on it. The tall Seer
stood transfixed, wondering how she had failed to notice how
beautiful the young slayer was and then she cursed inwardly for
allowing her thoughts to continue along the dangerous path her
feelings so desired.
She jumped as Faith's eyes opened without warning. "Jeez, do you
always wake up like that?"
"Like what?" Faith's voice was thick with sleep and she struggled to
sit upright and actually register what Cordy had asked of her.
"Never mind." The taller brunette brushed the comment away and then
swung Faith's legs off the couch so that she could sit next to her.
"Take a seat," Faith offered belatedly, pulling her face into a wry
grin.
"Thanks." Cordelia was quite happy to reply in the same sarcastic
vein. "So no word from the blonde dwarf then?"
Faith's grin widened at Cordelia's description. "That's harsh
Cordy," she reprimanded and then continued before the ex-cheerleader
had an opportunity to respond. "Nope, no word from any of them.
They're probably still discussing how bad I am."
"I'll have run out of clothes before they ever get to the end of that
topic," Cordelia leant back in the sofa, shaking her head.
"Cordy, you'll never run out of clothes," Faith pointed out
objectively, provoking a peal of laughter from the other girl and a
genuine smile from Faith. Her look turned shy as she noticed the
package still lying in her lap. She picked it up and rolled it in
her hands for a moment before looking at Cordelia. "I meant to give
this to you yesterday, but I kinda got caught up in something else."
She held out the parcel for Cordelia to take.
Narrowing her gaze slightly, Cordelia took the package from the rogue
slayer. "What is it?"
"Du-huh! Open it and find out," Faith told her.
Cordelia stuck her tongue out at the girl before pulling the tape at
one end. "Brown paper wrapping," she commented, drawing out the
tension. "I must have missed that from last month's Vogue."
"I never really got the idea of wrapping paper," defended
Faith. "You just rip it off and put it in the bin."
Cordelia cocked her head to one side before nodding
thoughtfully. "You do have a point," she concurred.
"Get on with it, already," Faith encouraged her, pushing at one of
her hands in an effort to hurry the event along.
The older girl rolled her eyes at Faith's impatience but complied,
pulling on the bag to reveal it's contents. Her eyes widened and
then frowned slightly in confusion. In her hands was the most
exquisite silver box. The lid was enamelled in cerulean blue with a
delicate yet complicated border in black. On the middle of the lid
in a clear, Gregorian style were the initials "C.C".
"This is beautiful. I've never seen anything like it before,"
Cordelia whispered, rolling the box around in her hands and looking
at the craftsmanship carefully.
"Open it," instructed Faith quietly.
Cordelia looked at her for a moment before prising open the lid.
Snuggled inside the box in a perfect fit, was a strip of Advil. It
was then that Faith explained the gift. "I didn't know what to get
you for your birthday, so I thought I'd get you something useful as I
know our taste in clothes and stuff isn't exactly similar." She
spoke quickly, still nervous of Cordelia's reaction. "I know it's
only crappy, and you don't have to say you like it or anything, but I
couldn't find anything in the shops. I had to make it myself.."
"You made this?" Interrupted the Seer. "Oh my god Faith, it's
incredible. I never knew you could do anything like that."
Faith blushed and looked at her lap suddenly to try and hide her
embarrassment. "Yeah, well. I picked up a lot of stuff in jail,"
she explained.
Cordelia was having none of the throwaway explanation. "It's
amazing, Faith. And so are you. It's the most thoughtful gift I've
ever had."
Faith snorted derisively. "I don't think so Cordy. You've had a car
and bought out most of Prada. A crappy pill box for a birthday
present hardly compares."
"Faith," the Seer explained carefully, "those gifts were just money.
No thought or effort went into them. I just told Daddy what I wanted
and he wrote the cheque. This is altogether different. It's the
most personal gift I think I've ever had." Cordelia had to swallow
to overcome the sudden tightness in her throat.
The dark slayer looked up at her friend curiously. "So it's Okay
then? You like it?"
"I love it," Cordelia beamed. "Thank you." She threw her arms round
Faith and hugged her tightly, revelling in her nearness before
sitting back and looking at Faith intently. "You're the only one
that remembered this year," she confided, her face darkening briefly
as she recalled how depressed she'd felt the day before.
Faith rocked back in astonishment. "What? Not even a card from your
parents? Angel? Xander?" Faith gave up listing people as she saw
Cordelia shake her head at each name mentioned. "Boy, I'm glad you
packed my jacket now," she remarked.
"So am I." Cordelia grinned. "I know it's a day late, but let's go
out tonight and celebrate," she suggested, her eyes shining at the
thought of spending more time with Faith.
The shorter woman smiled back. "I'd love to Cordy, but what about
the artefacts?" Faith desperately wanted to go out with the Seer.
She had been overwhelmed by the reaction to the birthday present and
wanted to obliterate any sad memories Cordelia had already suffered
on her birthday. Most importantly of all however was that she craved
the woman's company and even if it was selfish on her part, Faith
wanted to make the most of her time with her. Even if it meant going
out in Sunnydale. But her sense of duty outweighed all these
factors. She couldn't abandon that. They were all here for a
purpose and Faith had resolved never to let anyone down again.
"You're right," Cordy acquiesced. "I just got caught up in the
moment. They'll be another time to celebrate my birthday."
"Birthday?" Queried Angel as he opened the door. Both brunettes
raised their eyebrows as they realised the sun had set and that it
was dark outside. They had totally lost track of the time.
Wesley and Gunn followed Angel through the door and they made their
way over to the sofa. "You never told me it was your birthday," the
brooding vampire accused.
To be continued...